Reflections on “Judgment”: Sunday, November 20th.

It’s important to appreciate that Matthew 25 belongs to that corpus of Scriptures that describe judgment. The sheep and the goats context uses specifically the word “separate” while other texts use “judgment.” The idea of judgment is used in two different ways: 1) It is a word of differentiation and making distinctions while calling attention to one’s status. In this sense Christians are judged. They are judged “not guilty” by God, “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).” This differentiation and separation is seen in Matthew 25. Christians are judged and recognized as sheep and are gathered to the right side of the Lord Jesus Christ; 2) The word is synonymous with condemnation. In this different sense, Christians are not condemned and they live in the glorious Gospel that proclaims that God’s wrath against sin fell on Christ when He hung on Calvary’s cross. For those who believe in Christ, any talk of “their” condemnation is past as Jesus took it. So those who are in Christ are judged and not judged depending on how the word is used. To be in this dual status as a child of the Living God filled with the Spirit, filled with the glorious imprint of the Gospel upon one’s newly created soul (if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, 2 Cor. 5:17) is to have a new life pour forth. Thus not only is our justification depicted in Matthew 25:31-46 in that we are gathered at the right side of Christ (an imputed position reminding us that we are called, gathered, and enlightened by grace alone), but we are also described in terms of an active righteousness (still and also Christ’s for us). God recognizes Christians through faith in the heart; and this faith produces truly good works giving evidence to the world that we belong to the living God. Matthew 25:31-46 puts forth a specific list of works that share Christ’s compassion especially for the poor and towards those who suffer: 1) feed the hungry; 2) give drink to the thirsty; 3) provide shelter to the stranger; 4) give clothes to the naked; 5) care for the sick; and 6) visit those in prison. The works themselves do not become our focus. Luther reminds us, “Yet these works are not the means of [our] justification before God; [the Christian] does them out of disinterested love to the service of God, looking to no other end than to do what is well-pleasing to Him whom he desires to obey most dutifully in all things.” (On Christian Liberty) I think Luther’s description about works helps us to understand the sanctified amnesia described in Matthew 25. The Christians don’t know what Jesus is talking about: “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?” (Matthew 25:37-39) Some might hypothesize that the Christians here are saying that they never actually saw the Incarnate Christ while living as Christians in the world, but why would this be the meaning when it takes no exceptional understanding that Christ connects Himself with the people He created? No, the holy amnesia is from the “disinterested” perspective about works that Christians hold. Never are truly good works done for the sake of the works. We are disinterested in such works, because such works deny the Gospel. Rather, the desire of the Christian in doing truly good works is Jesus. The works never become our preoccupation, because Jesus is our preoccupation. We are preoccupied with the glorious truth of the Gospel that 1) Jesus feeds us His very body; 2) that Jesus gives us His blood to drink; 3) that we are sheltered in His Holy Church; 4) that we are clothed with His perfect righteousness; 5) that He came to us while we were sick and dying and healed us by His sacrificial wounds for us; and 6) that Jesus ultimately came to release us from the prison of sin, death and the power of the devil. For these reasons, we will be surprised (shocked?) that while being completely enveloped by joy and awe at the sight of our glorious Savior, that He will mention our good works. This is the reaction of the one who puts no stock in them, but puts all stock in Christ even as they were very interested in the people He called us love, love flowing from faith. But that any attention should be called to our poor works is indeed a deep surprise. Still, this is what will happen; this prophecy will be fulfilled. That is the thing about the judgment that belongs to the Christian: when we are judged we are justified on account of Christ and we are also sanctified for the same reason! In Christ, Dr. Espinosa

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